The Collective

PRESENTATION of Art'PAIR international

Art'PAIR international is an offshoot of the association Pro Arte Imaginis Realismus am Oberrhein, which was founded in 1991 by artists from the Palatinate (D), Baden-Württemberg (D) and Alsace (F). Since 2012, the collective has opened up internationally by co-opting artists from Austria, Belgium, England, New Zealand, Japan, Poland and Switzerland. As the orientation of these new members is ostensibly towards fantasy art, visionary realism (including fantasy, surrealism, symbolism, steampunk, etc.), Art'PAIR was created in order to develop its exclusive and international visionary orientation, also in order to allow Rhenish realism to focus on its regional identity of realism and fantasy artists. The two entities now work independently but in close cooperation.

Today, Art'PAIR International is opening up to Eastern European countries through Poland, which has a strong tradition of "magic realism".

For our international association, the word "PAIR" now refers only to the notion of recognition through the principle of co-option by peers. The two collectives wish to keep the original name in order to testify to this unity in diversity and to continue to work together.

FUNCTIONING of Art'PAIR international

Members of Art'PAIR international are co-opted according to the following procedure:
All spontaneous applications must be made by e-mail or by post to one of the members of the board or the President who will forward the list of candidates once or twice a year to the selection committee which will evaluate the applications. Candidates must be professionals in the art world with painting or sculpture as their main activity.

The applications consist of a letter of motivation, a link to the artist's website and a few high definition photos of recent works (technique and format specified). Each applicant must find a sponsor among the members of PAIR.

Co-opted artists must sign the charter and send it to the office. All new members arriving before July are required to pay the annual membership fee requested at the beginning of the year. Artists who are welcomed after July can wait until the following January to pay the annual fee.

All participants in an exhibition of the association must, however, be up to date with their membership fees.

EXHIBITIONS of PAIR & Art'PAIR

1991 Castle KARLSBERG DURLACH - KARLSRUHE - D
1992 Castle KARLSBERG DURLACH - KARLSRUHE - D
1993 FRIEDRISCHBAU - BüHL - D

1994 Castle ETLINGEN - Hermittage BADEN-WüRTEMBERG - D
1994 Castle KARLSBERG DURLACH - KARLSRUHE - D

1996 Arts Centre L'ILLIADE - ILLKIRCH-GRAFFENSTADEN - F
1996 Gallery of the Town Hall - MANNHEIM - D

1996 Castle KARLSBERG DURLACH - KARLSRUHE - D

1997 Gallery of the Hotel de Ville – SAINT-LOUIS - F
No PAIR exhibition between 1997 and 2012
2012 (Visionary colleagues and PAIR - organised by Bruno) Galerie Madame de Graffigny VILLERS LES NANCY - F

2013 Orgelfabrik - KARLSRUHE DURLACH - D
2014 Town Hall RHEINHAUSEN - D
2014 Bienchenhof Werner BRAND HOCHSTADT - D
2014 Guests of Honour Salon des Artistes Lorrains NANCY
2015 Salon URBEST Foire internationale de METZ - F
2015 Galerie ARPEGE SARREGUEMINES - F
2015 Bienchenhof Werner BRAND HOCHSTADT - D
2016 1st PAIR Biennial Town Hall RHEINHAUSEN - D
2016 DAMPFBAD Gallery BADEN-BADEN - D
2016 PAIR delegation at the "Fantastic Art Chow" TOKYO - J
2017 Werner BRAND Foundation HOCHSTADT - D
2018 SALON ART3F LUXEMBOURG - L
2018 2nd PAIR Biennial City Hall RHEINHAUSEN - D
2018 CALLAS BRÊME Gallery - D
2018 Guests of Honour Salon du PUY EN VELAY - F

2019 Constitutive GA of Art'PAIR international
2021 June - September inclusive LA PASSERELLE Tourist Office of La Gacilly 56 - France
2021 6 to 25 August Nef Théodolin VOUVANT 85 - France
2021 October Festival of Visionary Arts and Sciences CHIMERIA in SEDAN (08) as guest of honour
2022 From 1 to 8 July Salle MABLY in BORDEAUX - France
2022 From 9 September to 6 November Usine à ZABU / Atelier François JOLY - SAINT GERMAIN DES ANGLES / EVREUX France
2022 From 2 to 4 September Les Arts dans la Rue LUXEUIL les BAINS (88) - France
2023 13 May - 30 September Copper Museum in LEGNICA - Poland
2024 (date to be specified) Hopfenmuseum WOLNZACH Bavaria - Germany

Our LOGO

The unisus, "winged unicorn" or "alicorn", comes from the union between a unicorn and a pegasus, thus combining purity and poetic inspiration. It has the attributes of its parents, the single twisted horn on the forehead and the wings for flying. This term is a contraction of "unicorn" and "Pegasus".  The symbolism of the winged horse and the unicorn carries values such as freedom and power. This imaginary animal was created by artists in the 1980s.